Thailand 2008

Katie and I recently returned from a 12-day trip to Thailand, where we had some of the most amazing experiences of our lives to-date. We spent most of our time in Bangkok, near the Ramkamhaeng Song Campus of the University of Bangkok. We also had a chance to visit Kanchanaburi, where the famous bridge over the river Kwai is located. We saw the cemetery there, where 15,000 POW's who gave their lives in the construction of the Thai-Burmese death railroad are buried. 100,000 civilians also died in the project.

In a village outside of Kanchanaburi we paid a visit to a goat farm, which a graduate of the Ram Song University started in order to help the members of his home village earn a more sustainable income. Arun (which means 'morning' in Thai) recently got certified to raise cattle as well, and hopes to add rubber, as well as 50 kinds of fruit to his catalogue as well (pictured here are the banana trees).

We made a brief stop in Pattaya - one of the hottest sex-tourism destinations in Thailand - and visited a home there that provides an alternative income for women who are involved in the sex industry. At the home, the women could support themselves either by working in a bakery, a hand-made card shop, or a sewing room where we saw beautiful silk bedsets that sell for about $1200 (US). I had the opportunity to cut a flower for one of the cards, and to give one of the women a guitar lesson. (There are an estimated 300,000 to 2.8 million women working in the sex trade in Thailand- a heart-breaking number of them are under 16.)

Hand-made Thai silks Tim getting a scissors lesson

We visited a settlement not too far from the college campus. Most of the residents there live on less than 1 US Dollar per day, although some take advantage of the free land offered by the Thai government in order to save money for a car or a house. (The current exchange rate is 1 US to 33 Thai Bhat: as a point of reference, 25 Baht willl buy you a 20oz bottle of Coke.) We paid a visit to the government-funded school there, where we were greeted by some of the cutest and most welcoming school children you could possibly imagine. At any given moment you could find me carrying two to three at a time (while convincing at least one other that his/her turn was coming soon)! Katie wanted to bring one home.

Kids giving the traditional Thai greeting Katie's sweetheart



In a nation with over 56,000,000 Buddhists (the year in Thailand is 2551, measured from the birth of Buddha), the skyline of Bangkok literally glitters with temples. We visited a few of the most famous, including the Temple of the Reclining Buddha and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. The beauty and scope of the temple complexes were overwhelming.

Our hosts in Thailand were the staff and students of Baan Jai Diaow (House of One Heart) - or BJD, for short - who we sincerely wanted to bring home with us (or simply stay there with - we're not sure which!) Boy, Aeow, Kan and Pan, Saeng and Laeb - thank you so much! It was the richest of times...

Laeb tending the Shake Shack/Pan with 5 mo. old Poom/Boy giving some love

Katie and I at the Temple on Gold Mount....

In the beginning...

At the risk of being too Tim-and-Katie-centric, I decided to make our adventures available to the world. If you are a long-lost friend, here's a brief timeline.

Tim Gavigan and Katie Doran met in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in December 2000. Tim moved back to San Francisco on October 1, 2001, and started at Glad Tidings Church as the music pastor on November 14.

Katie moved to San Francisco on August 19, 2002. Tim and Katie were married on October 2, 2004, on the lawn of the Officers' Club at Fort Mason.

Tim currently leads the music ministry, the youth group (Underground,) and the college/post-college community (Retrofit.) Katie has been working for REDF, a non-profit that hires and trains people with severe barriers to emplyoment, since July 2005. She also puts in many, many hours at the church as a volunteer leader.

Here are a couple of pictures from our Christmas
presentation on December 10.